From menopause to marijuana, from peace to politics, from poignant to provocative, Ellen Bukstel writes and sings about it all. Renowned as an activist who puts her passions to song, Ellen has been commissioned to write songs and produced numerous award-winning music videos which have collectively helped to raise almost $100 Million dollars since 2006 and are being used as tools to raise awareness of important social issues such as Housing the Homeless, Assistance Victims of Domestic Violence, Human Rights and care for Children with wide spectrum Autism and Elderly with Cerebral Deterioration.
We are thrilled to feature Ellen’s song, “Who’s The Pusher Now?”, about the hypocrisies of the “War on Drugs” in “Mary Janes: The Women of Weed”. Additionally, we were so inspired by the music video that she is allowing us to use a small clip in the film.
We recently caught up with Ellen and asked her about her inspiration for the song. Read her reply and then watch the multi-award-winning music video (below). We’ve included the lyrics for you, with Ellen’s permission, in case you want to sing along. Enjoy!
What social justice and/or criminal justice reforms do you want the US to make around its drug policy, particularly around cannabis?
Our country has a sad history of supporting the proliferation of severely addictive and deadly pharmaceutical drugs, while punishing those who possess, sell and use marijuana. Too many good people have suffered under our legal system, which is full of unfair and unjust laws that are a direct result of politically motivated lies about cannabis and they have been perpetuated for decades.
I wish for the private prison system to be abolished. I want to remove the “Schedule I” drug status of cannabis and remove it from lists bearing any connection to pharmaceutical drug classifications. I wish to free all persons incarcerated for all so-called cannabis “crimes”. I wish for all criminal charges and/or convictions (in particular as a result of mandatory sentencing laws) to be expunged, giving those people a fresh start.
I believe anyone should be able to grow and cultivate Cannabis for personal, recreational or medicinal use, and for profit – as any other agricultural crop.
Catch up with Ellen Bukstel on Social Media:
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.ellenbukstel.com
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“Who’s The Pusher Now?”
Performed by Ellen Bukstel
Written by Ellen Bukstel, Nick Annis & Brett Segal
© 2012 / ASCAP
Courtesy of Ellen Bukstel and Polyrhythm Publishing
Back round 1935… Depression was ridin high
People trying to have some fun… smokin’ dope and opium
Government did what they do best… makin’ a mess
Made a crime that’s victimless… criminalizing cannabis
And the big drug money machine… sells Oxy and Morphine
Legal Drug get us hooked… a million deaths overlooked
Methadone… Fentynal… Halcion… Phenobarbital
Let the government take a bow… Who’s the pusher now!
Follow the corporate money trail… while decent people rot in jail
Guarantee full occupancy… for private prison industry
Caught up in a livin’ hell.. with a couple a million prison cells
And government hypocrisy … payin’ for modern slavery…..
While the big drug money machine… sells Oxy and Morphine
Federal laws still protect… drugs with deadly side affects
Percoset… Thorazine… Opiates… Amphetamine
Let the government take a bow… Who’s the pusher now!
War on drugs… a political joke… lockin’ us up for smoking dope
No reason for doing time… with a punishment …when there ain’t no crime
No cartels are runnin beer… prohibition made it clear
When you turn a market black… it’s hard to turn it back
When government gets behind the gun… IRS is never done
Our taxes pay the FDA… so the DEA can put us away
While the government drug money machine… runs like its on Dexadrine
Politicians legislate… so they can mass incarcerate
Look at the human cost… personal rights gettin tossed
Let the government take a bow… Who’s the pusher now!
While the big drug money machine… Sells Oxy and Morphine
Cannabis guaranteed … harmless as a garden weed
When your body gives you pain….smoke some medical Mary Jane
Let the government take a bow… Let the government take a bow
Who’s the pusher now!
